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AT&T just took a big step to maintain its lead in wireless service for connected cars – Business Insider

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AT&T is the leading wireless carrier for connected cars, and it just took a big step to keep that lead.

The company has debuted a new unlimited data plan for connected cars, reports RCR Wireless News. The plan lets customers with an existing AT&T unlimited data plan for their smartphones tack on unlimited data for their cars for $40 per vehicle. The cars must have an embedded Wi-Fi connection or a ZTE Mobley Wi-Fi plug-in device to work with the plan.

AT&T customers with an unlimited phone plan can also elect to buy a monthly data plan of one gigabyte per month for $10 per car.

The wireless carrier debuted its unlimited smartphone plan at the start of this year and almost three million customers signed up in the first quarter.

AT&T has announced that it had more than eight million connected cars on its network as of the end of Q1 2016. Of course, not all of those cars’ owners have activated the connected features in the vehicles and signed up for the data plans.

The company has partnerships with 19 different auto manufacturers (such as Tesla, Ford, GM, and Volkswagen) to install connectivity in their vehicles. AT&T can monetize these connections by offering pools of anonymous data to car manufacturers and dealerships.

Over the past year, there has been a significant uptick in the number of connected cars on the road. And as internet integration becomes more commonplace, the automobile as we know it will transform.

Over the next five to 10 years, this internet integration is expected to change the car ownership model, create a new platform for consumers to access content, lead to fully autonomous vehicles, and revolutionize the auto industry.

The market position of the car today is similar to where the smartphone was in 2010 — it’s just taken off and is ready to explode.

John Greenough, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on the transformation of the automobile that examines the transformation of the automobile. It also analyzes all areas of the changing automotive market, including the market size for connected cars, automakers benefits and connection strategies, market leaders, consumer demand, and more.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

Over 380 million connected cars will be on the road by 2021. The market has seen a significant increase in automakers plans to connect the majority of the vehicles they sell and as a result, we’ve increased our 2015 forecast.

Automakers are connecting the vehicles they sell because the connection offers clear business opportunities.

Consumers are adopting the connected car faster than expected. We identify the 3 factors that causing the increase in demand.

Tech companies will play a major role in the future of the automotive market. The big question is whether tech companies will eventually manufacture cars?

Fully autonomous cars are only a few years away. Technological, regulatory, and consumer adoption hurdles still remain, but there have been many strides towards a car that can drive itself from point A to point B with little to no human interaction.

In full, the report:

Forecasts connected car shipments

Identifies automakers strategy for connection

Analyzes consumer interest in the connected car

Examines Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Discusses the potential changing car ownership model

Describes the evolution of the self-driving car

Identifies top connected car and fully autonomous car barriers

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:

Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP

Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of connected cars.